Policy Access Gateway Scalable Policy Deployment Architecture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current policy management architectures in wireless communication networks, particularly in LTE networks, face challenges in scaling to support growing user and traffic demands, managing complexity, and providing end-to-end session tracking and management for services like voice over IP, which requires Quality of Service (QoS) and guaranteed bit rates, with no standardized mechanism for policy deployment and scaling.
Innovation Solution
A scalable policy deployment architecture that includes a Policy Access Gateway (PAG) enhancing standard Diameter Routing Agent functions with session binding mechanisms, enabling policy information consolidation and caching, and managing network policies across multiple service zones, allowing for intelligent routing and end-to-end session tracking and management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional policy management architectures are used in LTE networks, then network management functions are performed locally and statically, but the architecture cannot scale to support hundreds of millions of users and lacks end-to-end session tracking capability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the policy management architecture into multiple service zones, each handled by a dedicated Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) instance. This segmentation allows the system to scale horizontally by adding more service zones and PCRF instances, supporting hundreds of millions of users while maintaining manageable complexity through modular organization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new dimension to policy management by implementing end-to-end session tracking across multiple network domains (access network, transport network, service network). This multi-dimensional approach enables comprehensive session management and scaling without proportionally increasing architectural complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate service requests are handled individually with different policy mechanisms, then specific service requirements are met, but there is no common manner to track access and user requests across services
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal session tracking mechanism that works across all service types (voice, data, video). The Policy Management Function (PMF) provides multi-functional capabilities including access tracking, session management, and policy enforcement that serve multiple services simultaneously, preventing information loss while maintaining service differentiation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces the Policy Management Function (PMF) as an intermediary that centralizes session tracking and policy management. This mediator collects and maintains session information from various network elements and services, ensuring no loss of tracking information while enabling differentiated policy handling for different service types.
3Ease of operation
If management functions are scattered across the network and performed locally, then localized control is achieved, but there is no common architecture that enables scaling of policy framework deployment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the distributed management functions into organized service zones with dedicated PCRF instances. This segmentation maintains localized control within each service zone while enabling overall system scalability through the modular service zone architecture that can be replicated across the network.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the static localized management architecture into a dynamic scalable system. The Policy Management Function (PMF) dynamically allocates and manages policy resources across service zones, and the architecture can dynamically add or remove service zones based on network growth, maintaining operational simplicity while achieving scalability.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects describe using a Policy Access Gateway that can facilitate scalability within a communication network and that can provide a solution to deploy an enhanced policy gateway. The Policy Access Gateway can enhance standard defined Diameter Routing Agent (DRA) functions with session binding mechanisms. Further, the Policy Access Gateway is scalable and can be deployed in a very large network that supports hundreds of millions of users. Further, the Policy Access Gateway can provide additional policy information to enable policy information consolidation and caching capabilities.